From Leaves to Fruit: Humble Repentance Over Self-Righteousness

Well, if you're lost, I want to call you to the gospel. The good news is this, as terrible of a sinner as you are, god's grace is greater. Grace, grace, god's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. You sell pastor. I I know women who have aborted babies, who have done all manner of terrible things. I know men who have gone so far as to hurt, abuse, done things that no one knows about. I'm here to tell you god knows. God says, I wanna forgive you. Will you let me? [00:56:16] (52 seconds)  #GraceIsGreater

Faith Baptist, I love you. And as your pastor, I wanna encourage you, but there's a harsh truth that you and I need to daily deal with is the ease at which we slip into self righteousness. Where we become very comfortable because everything outwardly looks right. In fact, we'll even put on a little bit of a show. We'll talk about some of the more socially acceptable sins that we struggle with. But inside, there's a there's a raging turmoil in our hearts. There's a battle. [00:41:08] (35 seconds)  #BeyondTheFacade

I ain't going say another word to them. They they get what they deserve but that's not the heart of our savior, is it? He didn't have to interact with these folks. He could've washed his hands of it all and said, well, I've given you opportunity after opportunity after opportunity but the heart of our savior is even when we are steeped, even when man is steeped in self righteousness, to call us to himself, to call us to repentance. [00:22:00] (28 seconds)  #SaviorsCompassion

He said, what are the righteous works we need to do, Jesus? And Jesus says, here's the work you need to do, believe. Believe. You know why sinners enter the kingdom while the self righteous are rejected? It's because there's a response to grace. It's not counting up your deeds, your good works. It's knowing and experiencing the grace of god. [00:53:55] (30 seconds)  #RespondToGrace

That's not how salvation works. Salvation is when I receive I repent of my own righteousness, and I receive the righteousness of another, that person, the lord Jesus Christ. See, faith in Jesus, it throws the scale away. In fact, in John six, they came to Jesus saying, Jesus, what must we do? I mean, what is the work of god? What does god want from us? I'm paraphrasing and Jesus said this, this is the work of god that you believe on him whom he has sent. [00:53:20] (35 seconds)  #ReceiveHisRighteousness

Jesus here is really trying to bring home this truth. You all think you're doing well, pharisees and scribes. You're you're comfortable. There's the fig tree is full of green leaves. But I'm here to deliver a harsh reality that the publicans and the harlots are gonna get into the kingdom before you do. That's hard. Think about that. Especially for those who prided themselves in their righteousness. [00:31:04] (38 seconds)  #HumbledEnterFirst

Number one, the first truth is terrifying. There is no one there is no one that god won't reject if they won't stop embracing their own righteousness. There's not one person here. The most moral, most righteous person you know will be rejected by almighty god. If they are found in their own righteousness. Jesus talks about that. There will be many who stand before him in the day of judgment and say, lord, lord, lord, lord, have we not prophesied thy name? [00:40:03] (45 seconds)  #AbandonSelfRighteousness

And we celebrate the the the the the leaves rather than the fruit. Leaves. But God didn't plan us just to produce leaves. He wants fruit. And fruit requires obedience. Fruit requires humility. Fruit fruit requires submission. Fruit requires dying to self. Fruit requires laying bare the ugliness of life and saying, you know what? I need help. [00:44:44] (35 seconds)  #SimplyBelieve